AccessMap debuted in 2017, enabling walkers to customize routes based on their accessibility requirements and choices — a substitute for the uniform pedestrian directions offered in platforms like Google Maps. However, the application, developed at the University of Washington’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology (TCAT), initially covered only certain parts of Seattle. Over time, it has broadened its reach to additional cities around the Salish Sea, including Everett, Mount Vernon, and Bellingham.
Currently, AccessMap is extending its coverage throughout Washington state. A newly compiled data set named OS-CONNECT identifies sidewalks and various pedestrian pathways across the state, ranging from Forks on the Olympic Peninsula to Clarkston in the southeast. Under House Bill 1125, the Washington State Legislature tasked TCAT with developing this data set, which the team accomplished significantly ahead of its anticipated 2027 deadline. The team will now conduct thorough quality assessments, collaborate with diverse communities to interpret and analyze the implications of the data, and involve residents in initiatives that encourage public engagement in data usage and active transportation. You can monitor the updates via this interactive map.
“No other state has utilized machine learning alongside human validation to systematically gather all pedestrian infrastructure within its boundaries,” stated Anat Caspi, TCAT’s director and a principal researcher in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, where TCAT is located. “OS-CONNECT assists us in addressing the fundamental question the state posed: ‘Who has access to frequent transit?’ Furthermore, we can now answer additional inquiries, such as: ‘What kind of access do individuals with varying needs have to essential services like grocery stores, educational institutions, and healthcare?’”
The state assembled OS-CONNECT employing TCAT’s OpenSidewalks model, which merges machine learning with human validation to catalog pedestrian infrastructure. For example, utilizing this data set via the AccessMap app, a person in a wheelchair is able to plan a route exclusively on streets equipped with sidewalks, that do not exceed an incline of 5%, and that include curb ramps at intersections.
This data can assist local authorities in pinpointing locations where sidewalks are in poor condition or entirely absent. OS-CONNECT bolsters Walkshed, an accessibility application intended for urban planners, as well as initiatives like Complete Streets, a framework for fair infrastructure design, and Vision Zero, a Seattle initiative aimed at eradicating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
“Not only are we cataloging every sidewalk in Washington, which is monumental,” replied Caspi. “We are also involving communities and planners in a large-scale initiative to facilitate data production and ensure the long-term upkeep of this resource, aiming to make it sustainable and adaptable for other entities. This enables states across the United States to potentially adopt it.”
For further details, reach out to Caspi at [email protected].